Eliciting and checking new language

What is eliciting?
The drawing out of what students know, or ‘sort of’ know.

Why elicit?
Students invariably know more than we think, or even they think. It can be confidence building.
Starting from what students know is more productive than treating them as empty vessels to be
filled. Eliciting requires a response from st.s, requires them to think and is therefore more involving
and engaging than explanation.

What can we elicit?

General knowledge, guesses, ideas, opinions, vocabulary, sentences, grammar (meaning, form and
pron.), terminology, spelling, stress etc

What can’t we elicit?

What the students don’t know.

How do we elicit?
1. T. conveys an idea by showing a picture, doing a mime, describing a situation, giving an
example etc and then asks a question like, “Does anyone know the word for that?” or “Give
me an adjective to describe that” or, “What is the man thinking, use the verb wish”...
2. St. (s) respond(s).
3. T. gives feedback, “Good”, “Close, another word?”, “Try again” etc
4. T. checks understanding with CCQs.

Tips for successful eliciting

 Use a combination of prompts, e.g. a picture and a short scenario.
 Involve the students in the scenario, e.g. “ Marco how do you feel when you finish work?
Tired? Does anyone know another word which means very, very tired?” “Elena, marry me?
(T. goes down on one knee in front of Elena) What am I doing? Does anyone know a verb for
that?”
 Do give enough information. Don’t play ‘Guess what’s in the teacher’s head’. Try your
eliciting questions out on your peers.
 Acknowledge all responses even if they are not quite the response you need.
 Don’t stretch out the eliciting too long. If they can’t get it, either you’ve asked the wrong
question or st.s simply don’t know the answer. If this is the case, supply the item and check
it.
 When eliciting verbs, elicit the infinitive form.
 If the word is abstract, it may be easier to elicit another form e.g. the verb to retire is easier
to elicit than retirement. Once you have the verb, ask what’s the noun?
 Do give hints, parts of speech, first letter etc
 Don’t ask st.s to define vocabulary. Avoid, “What does X mean?” or “What is a Z?”

CELTA Methodology: Eliciting (FH)

Further reading: Scrivener – Learning Teaching, chapter 3. p.73-74
Eliciting Task

Trainee A
Think of a sequence of questions to elicit the following:
1. a portrait (n.)
2. to giggle (v.)
3. appalling (adj.)
4. to have two left feet (idm.)
5. a) The cows are milked twice a day
b) to be + past participle
c) present simple passive

Trainee B
Think of a sequence of questions to elicit the following:
1. a mug (n.)
2. to stagger (vb.)
3. harmful (adj.)
4. to think s/th over (phrasal vb.)
5. a) A hippo is more dangerous than a crocodile.
b) more+ adjective+than
c) comparative

Trainee C
Think of a sequence of questions to elicit the following:
1. wedding (n.)
2. to burn (vb.)
3. sweaty (adj.)
4. to smell a rat (idm.)
5. a) It’s too dark to see.
b) too + adj. + infinitive